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The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers are set to face off in the 2025 NBA Finals. One of the best programs the league puts together throughout the Finals are the player correspondents who get to attend and cover an NBA Finals game while getting a taste for the championship-level environment.
In the last few seasons, we've seen some of the leagues biggest and brightest stars like Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, and Paolo Banchero attend the NBA Finals and experience what it's like to be a reporter on the scene.
This year, the NBA is going with some more big names as correspondents for the Finals.
Dyson Daniels, Matas Buzelis highlight NBA Finals Correspondents for Thunder-Pacers
The 2025 NBA Finals will see four rising stars play the part of Correspondents for the league in the first four games of the series.
Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, Miami Heat guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain were the four players selected to be correspondents for the NBA Finals.
Introducing the NBA Player Correspondents for the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV 🎙️
Jared McCain (Game 1), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Game 2), Dyson Daniels (Game 3), and Matas Buzelis (Game 4) will be on the ground giving inside access from Oklahoma City and Indiana, beginning… pic.twitter.com/caDpRWj6iK
— NBA (@NBA) June 3, 2025
The Atlanta Hawks may have struggled this year, but Dyson Daniels put forth a career year en route to being named the 2024-25 Most Improved Player of the Year. Daniels was also the 2024-25 steals champ and was named to the 2024-25 All-Defensive Team.
Matas Buzelis averaging 15.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. The Bulls forward was named to the 2024-25 All-Rookie Team.
Miami Heat guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. was named to the 2023-24 All-Rookie Team, but struggled to find a consistent role in what was a rocky season thanks to the Jimmy Butler trade request.
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Sixers' rookie Jared McCain only played 23 games this season before suffering a torn meniscus in December, officially ending his season. In those 23 games, McCain averaged 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three.
This year's NBA Finals will also feature a number of players who have already participated as NBA Finals correspondents, including Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers as well as Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Turner completed his in 2016, where he interviewed Richard Jefferson and Harrison Barnes during the media availability between Games 3 and 4.
Mathurin and Williams both took part in the Nuggets-Heat NBA Finals in 2023, with Mathurin covering the first media day and Game 1 while Williams covered the third media day and Game 3.
The full list of players who have participated includes:
– CJ McCollum
– Jabari Smith Jr.
– Amen and Ausar Thompson
– Keyonte George
– Brandin Podziemski
– Scottie Barnes
– Tyrese Maxey
– Donovan Mitchell
– Deandre Ayton
– Jaren Jackson Jr.
– Paolo Banchero
– Walker Kessler
Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers is set to tip off on Thursday night at 8:30PM EST.
